Disc players for reproducing audio signals from compact discs or the like having the signals recorded thereon generally have a tray provided at an opening in the front panel of a cabinet and movable into and out of the cabinet, and further include, as arranged inside the cabinet, a tray drive mechanism for driving the tray with the disc placed thereon to transport the disc toward a turntable inside the cabinet, a disc clamp mechanism for pressing the disc against the turntable, and a pickup transport mechanism for reciprocatingly transporting a pickup radially of the disc on the turntable for the pickup to reproduce signals. The opening portion of the cabinet is further provided with a shutter mechanism for closing the cabinet opening after the disc has been loaded into the cabinet.
Disc clamp mechanisms already known include, for example, those of the type wherein a clamp lever pivotally movably supported on a chassis is driven toward the turntable by a drive mechanism provided specifically therefor to clamp the disc onto the turntable. However, the clamp mechanism requires the mechanism for driving the clamp lever aside from a disc loading mechanism and therefore has the problem of making the player complex in construction.
For transporting the tray from a disc discharge position to a disc loading completed position in the innermost portion of the player, a tray drive mechanism is known which comprises a pair of guide plates provided upright on a fixed chassis at opposite sides of the tray for guiding horizontal and vertical movements of the tray, and drive plates arranged at the outer sides of the respective guide plates for pushing the tray forward. This mechanism has the problem of giving an increased lateral width to the player because the guide plates, drive plates, etc. are arranged at opposite sides of the tray.
Further a device has been proposed for driving the tray and transporting the pickup by a single motor. The proposed device requires a power transmission route change-over mechanism which is provided with a solenoid or like reciprocating drive means as a power source. The provision of the power source, however, entails the problem of increased power consumption.
Shutter mechanisms are also known for closing the cabinet front opening. This mechanism comprises a door shaped in conformity with the shape of the opening and pivoted to the opening portion of the cabinet, and a spring for biasing the door in the closing direction. However, since the door can be opened by hand from outside after the disc has been completely loaded, it is likely that extraneous matter will ingress into the cabinet.